National
Kala Vishwa-2021, a Special Campaign
⇒ Indian Council for Cultural Relations has launched a new series of programmes “Kala Vishwa”, a special campaign under Horizon Series for a duration of six months in Mumbai.
Inauguration:
Dr.Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, President, ICCR and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children and Youth & Sports inaugurated the first programme under the “Kala Vishwa-2021” campaign on 18th July 2021 in hybrid mode.
The first programme was ‘Dashavatar’, a prominent folk theatrical form with a history of eight hundred years, from the Konkan region of Maharashtra.
Objective:
The objective of ‘Kala Vishwa-2021’ is to reach out to the local artistes / artisans and those coming from rural areas or from the folk-arts category and give them an opportunity and a platform to perform under this campaign, especially during these challenging times of COVID-19. This series will also help our foreign students to understand folk culture of India.
About ICCR:
Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) is an autonomous organization under Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India founded in 1950 by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, independent India’s first Education Minister.
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Krishi Vigyan Protsahan Puraskar-2020
⇒ The Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) of Kalaburagi that functioned under the University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur (UAS-R), bagged the national award Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Krishi Vigyan Protsahan Puraskar-2020.
The contact farmer of the KVK, Kalaburagi, Sharanbasappa Patil, a native of Halsultanpur village in Kalaburagi district, bagged ICAR-Jagjivan Ram Innovative Farmer Award-2020 for his innovative contribution to agriculture.
The awards were announced at a virtual programme conducted from New Delhi on the ceremony of 93rd Foundation Day of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on 16 July 2021.
Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha
⇒ Union Minister of Textiles Piyush Goyal has been appointed the Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha. Goyal replaced Thawar Chand Gehlot, who took oath recently as the 19th Governor of Karnataka.
Sports
FIDE Chess World Cup 2021
⇒ The FIDE Chess World Cup 2021 was took place in Sochi, Russia. The 206-player single-elimination chess tournament was held from 12 July to 06 August, 2021. It was the 9th edition of the Chess World Cup.
Winner:
The winner of the FIDE Chess World Cup 2021 tournament was Polish Grand Master Jan-Krzysztof Duda. Russian Grand Master Sergey Karjakin was the runner-up.
The two finalists, Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Sergey Karjakin qualified for the Candidates Tournament 2022.
Important Day
Nelson Mandela International Day
⇒ Nelson Mandela International Day is celebrated every year to shine light on the legacy of a man who changed the 20th century and helped shape the 21st.
Nelson Mandela International Day, also known as Mandela Day, is observed on July 18 to mark the birth anniversary of the former South African president.
Theme:
The theme of Nelson Mandela International Day 2021 was “One Hand Can Feed Another.”
This day is an opportunity for everyone to renew their commitment to the values that inspired Mandela.
This day was first celebrated on July 18, 2010, after the United Nations in November 2009 officially declared Nelson Mandela International Day.
Nelson Mandela Prize:
In 2014, the UN General Assembly introduced the Nelson Mandela Prize. It is an award to recognize the achievements of those who dedicate their lives for the service of humanity.
For the year 2021, Rumana Sinha Sehgal, a Software engineer turned entrepreneur from Hyderabad, won the Nelson Mandela World Humanitarian Award by the Diplomatic Mission Global Peace.
Death
Shrimad Vidyadhiraj Teerth Sripad Vader Swamiji
⇒ Shrimad Vidyadhiraj Teerth Sripad Vader Swamiji of the Shree Samsthan Gokarn Partagali Jeevottam Math, Partagal died on 19 July 2021. He was 76.
Shree Samsthan Gokarn Partagali Jeevottam Math is a prominent spiritual order of the Goud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) community spread over Goa, Karnataka and Kerala, and Vidyadhiraj Teerth Swami was highly revered by his followers, disciples and devotees from the community.